

P5 

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STetters an^ Cestimonials 



PRESENTED TO THE PRESIDENT 



BEHALF OF THE NOMINATION 



GEORGE W. BEARDSLEE 



COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS. 



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LETTERS AND PETITIONS 

FOR THE 

NOMINATION AND CONFIEMATION 

OF 

GEORGE W. BEARDSLEE, 

FOR THE 

Vacant Office of Commissioner of Patents. 



Letter from Vice- Admiral David D. Porter. 
U. S. Nayal Academy, 
Anna^pnlis^ Md.^ February 26, 1868. 

The undersigned takes great pleasure in recom- 
mending Mr. George W, Beardslee, of the City of 
New York, as a suitable person to fill the office of 
Commissioner of Patents. 

This opinion is formed — first, from the certificates 
of the Hon. John K. Porter, an eminent lawyer of 
New York, Charles M. Keller and E. W. Stoughton, 
Esquires, both of whom are well known Patent law- 
yers, and have had large experience in Patent matters 
and the Patent Office ; they are therefore competent 
to judge. 

These gentlemen are personally known to me, and 
would not give a certificate unless it were justly due. 



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Mr. Beardslee is also known to me, having; served 
in the North Atlantic Squadron under my command 
during the war as an electrician, in which capacity he 
rendered valuable service. 

Mr. Beardslee possesses knowledge as an electrician 
connected with the Torpedo system, which it is very 
important this Government should secure. 

_A knowledge of his system, properly imparted to 
the Naval service, would enable us to render our har- 
bor perfectly secure in time of war, and to drive all 
invaders from our coasts. 

Mr. Beardslee has spent a great deal of money for 
the Government, and, in my opinion, has never re- 
ceived adequate remuneration. 

From my own knowledge of him, and from the tes- 
timony of persons in whom I have confidence, I am 
satisfied that he -would make a good appointee. 
DAVID D. PORTER, 

Vice- Admiral. 

Letter from Hon. John K. Porter. 
To His Excellency the 

President of the United States: 

It gives me great pleasure to unite in recommend- 
ing the appointment of George W. Beardslee, of the 
City of New York, as Commissioner of Patents. 

Though not a lawyer by profession, he has an ad- 
mirable legal mind, and a thorough practical acquaint- 
ance with every department of the Patent Law. I 
do not know any one in the country who unites so 
many qualifications for the position. He is a gentle- 



man of miquestioned integrity, of great experience in 
practical affairs, of rare scientific attainments, of in- 
domitable energy, and, more than all, of the clear and 
unerring judgment required in a position of grave 
responsibility. I have known Mr. Baardslee in pro- 
fessional and social relations for nearly twenty years, 
and do not hesitate therefore to speak of his qualifica- 
tions with entire confidence. 

Very respectfully yours, 

JOHN K. PORTER. 



Letter from the Hon. Ediuard Haight. 
To His Excellency the 

President of the United States : 
Dear Sir : Having learned that my friend, George 
W. Beardslee, has been urged by his friends for the 
appointment to the vacant office of Commissioner of 
Patents, I beg to add my assurances of his capability 
and fitness for the office, and to express the hope that 
his application will receive your most favorable con- 
sideration, and result in his instalment to the office. 
With the highest consideration, 

I remain yours, very respectfully, 

EDWARD HAIGHT. 



Letter from Hon. A. B^ Olin. 

Washington, March 4tJi, 1868. 
Hon. O. H. Browning, Secretary of the Interior : 

Sir : I take great pleasure in commending to your 
favorable notice and consideration Mr. Geo. W. Beards- 
lee, who is an applicant for the vacant Commissioner- 



ship of Patents. From my oAvn knowledge, and from 
the representation of others, of Mr. Beardslee's quali- 
fications for that position, I believe that he possesses, 
in an eminent degree, and probably in a greater degree 
than can be found in any one individual, the knowl- 
edge and attainments that that position requires. T 
take a very great personal interest in the matter, and 
hope it may meet your sanction and approval. 
Very respectfully, 

Your obedient servant, 

A. B. OLIN. 



Letter from the Hon. Erastus Gorning. 

Albany, March 2d, 1868. 
To His Excellency A. Johnson : 

I am informed that Geo. W. Beardslee, Esq., is an 
applicant for the position of Commissioner of Patents. 
I have known Mr. Beardslee for some years, and can, 
with great confidence, recommend him to your favora- 
ble consideration as a gentleman, in my judgment, 
eminently qualified by education and capacity for the 
position. I hope it may be quite consistent for you to 
give him the nomination. 

I am, with great respect, 

Your obedient servant, 

ERASTUS CORNING. 



Memorial from Chas. M. Keller, Esq., and others. 
New York City, February 18, 1868. 
To His Excellency the 

President of the United States : 
The undersigned, citizens of the State of New York, 



take pleasure in recommending Mr. George W. Beards- 
lee, of the City of New York, as a person eminently 
suitable for the office of Commissioner of Patents. 

The person called to that office should possess a 
thorough knowledge of the history and progress of the 
useful Arts, and a mind capable of discriminating 
between what are inventions, such as genius alone 
can create, and what are formal changes, such as mere 
skill can suggest ; for, without such faculty of discrimi- 
nation on the part of the incumbent of that important 
office, real inventors may fail to receive the protection 
contemplated by law, and the country will continue, as 
heretofore, to.be flooded with thousands of patents for 
trifling modifications in the Arts, to the disparage- 
ment of real inventors, and especially to the in- 
conveniences of all engaged in the Arts who are 
hampered in their industry by the claims of patentees 
of pretended inventions, and who find themselves in 
the alternative of paying tribute for the use of the most 
obvious suggestions of mere skill, or to be exposed to 
expensive and ruinous litigations. 

To see that every real inventor shall be secured in 
the right of property for what he has created, and that 
every branch of industry shall be left free to use what 
mere skill can suggest, are the purposes for which that 
office was established. The want of the requisite quali- 
fications in some of the persons who have held that 
office, has led to the practice of granting patents by the 
thousands for the most trivial modifications in every 
branch of the Arts. 

The number, and not the quantity, of the patents 
seems to have become the rule. 



The undersigned believes that Mr. Beardslee, from 
his general intelligence, integrity of character, experi- 
ence as an inventor, and a practical knowledge of the 
past litigations under patents for important inventions, 
Avould fill the office of Commissioner of Patents with 
marked advantage to inventors and to the public at 
large ; and, for the reasons stated, respectfully submit 
his name to the consideration of His Excellency the 
President of the United States. 

(Signed) CHAS. M. KELLER, 

E. W. STOUGHTON, 
H. H. VAN DYCK, 
EDWARD HAIGHT, 
WM. W. W. WOOD, 

Chief Engineer IT. S. Nacy, 
LEONARD W. JEROME. 



To His Excellency the 

President of the United States : 

We the undersigned, citizens of New York, and 
others, fully appreciating the importance of the position 
of the Commissioner of Patents, as identified with the 
progress of the mechanical and productive interests of 
the United States, the advancement of the mechanic 
arts, the development of agriculture, commerce, and' 
industry, in view of the vacancy of Commissioner of 
Patents now existing, most respectfully call the atten- 
tion of your Excellency, and to request your considera- 
tion for nomination as Commissioner of Patents, our 
fellow-citizen, Geo. W. Beardslee. 

Mr. Beardslee has been largely identified with the 
mechanical and manufacturing interests of the country, 



and is a gentleman of large and extended scientific 
attainments. His services to the conntry during the 
war embraced four years service at his own expense, 
with an expenditure of over fifty thousand dollars 
during its progress, for the benefit of the service. 

Mr. Beardslee gave a son to the war, who was chief 
signal officer on General Terrv's staff at the takins^ of 
Fort fisher, and was one of the ten officers appointed 
to receive the parole of Johnson's Army. 

The record of Mr. Beardslee is so well known to 
the country, and appreciated as a most competent and 
acceptably man for the position of Commissioner of 
Patents, we have no hesitation in asserting that his 
nomination to that office by the President would meet 
with the approval of the ^ enate, and prove acceptable 
to the country as a deserved and merited appointment. 
WM. J. PEASE. 
WM. P. BUCKMASTER. 

Fulton Iron Works ^ New Yorh. 
SAM'L B. WHITE, 

Caslder of Orocers' National Bank 
COIl^'S H, DELAMETER. 
EUASTUS W. SMITH, A. P. D. 
Constructing and Superintending Engines. 
JOHN. ROACH, 

Morgan Iron Works. 
GEO. W, QUINTARD. 
T. F ROWLAND, 
Continental Iron Works., Green Pointy Brooklyn. 
JAMES M. MOTLEY, 

President Manliatta7i Oil Company. 
GEO. E. WEEDE. 



AVashington Gity, D. C, 

February 29th, 1868. 
To His Excellency the 

President of the United States: 

In submitting to your Excellency the enclosed let- 
ters and memorials' praying for your favorable consid- 
eration of my name for the vacant office of Commis- 
sioner of Patents, I beg leave to make the following 
communication : 

That, should this application receive your approba- 
tion, and result in the favor of my nomination, I feel 
quite confident that the Senate would not refuse con- 
firmation. 

]\iy record in the late war will show that I devoted 
four years of my time for the good of the service, at 
my own expense, and that I made an additional ex- 
penditure of over fifty thousand dollars Iti the cause of 
the Government. 

1 am not in any way connected with any patent, by 
invention, or otherwise, except those valuable to the 
Government, and the character of which may be 
inferred from the enclosed copy of a letter from Vice- 
Admiral Porter ; all of which improvements, discov- 
eries, and secrets, I pledge myself, in the event of my 
nomination and confirmation, to make over to the Gov- 
ernment. 

I am not, in any way, directly or indirectly, identified 
with any patented interests of any kind, nor am I 
under any pledge or promise to any patented interests, 
except to secure to inventors their right of property in 
the creations of their own genius, and to serve the 
public and my country honestly and justly. 



9 

As a citizen of the State of New York, I beg leave 
to say that, in view of the population, wealth, and 
number of improvements in tlie arts, (they being much 
more numerous in that than in any other of the States,) 
it is deemed but an act of justice that that State should 
be represented in the person of the Commissioner of 
Patents — she never having had that honor but once, 
and then by a foreigner by birth and education. 

All of which is most respectfully submitted for your 
Excellency's consideration by^ 
Your obedient servant, 

GEORGE W. BEARDSLEE, 

Washington, D, C. 



Letter from David D. Porter^ Vice-Admiral JJ. S. Navy, 
George W. Beardslee, of New York, relating to 
torpedoes and torpedo operations, as practiced hy Mr. 
Bearsdlee at the Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md. 
U. S. Naval Academy, 

Annapolis, February \&h, 1868. 
"Dear Sir : I beg leave to acknowledge the receipt of 
your letter, and it would be ungrateful in me, after 
your spending so much of your time in instructing us 
in the principles of your Torpedo system and Electric 
batteries, if I failed to thank you as you deserve to be 
thanked. I am sorry that I cannot express my grati- 
tude in a more substantial form. 

If, however, at any time, I can assist you in a pro- 
fessional way, I hope you will command my services. 
The practical information you have given to the in- 
structing officer here, has been gratefully received, and 
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10 

it was conveyed in such a manner that it will be a 
lasting benefit to the Academy, as I tnink any of the 
ordnance officers can now perform your experiments 
sufficiently well to enable them to operate against an 
enemy in the most efi"ective manner. 

Ever since the close of the rebellion, my mind has 
been continually fixed on the necessity of a Torpedo 
Corps in the Navy. I had some experience of the effec- 
tive manner in which the rebels operated against our 
vessels, and indeed the only advantage they gained over 
our Navy was through their Torpedo Corps. 

We had more vessels destroyed in this way than in 
any other, and with all the fearlessness displayed by 
our officers, they gradually learned to be cautions when 
operating against an enemy who practiced with such 
a terrible weapon as the torpedo. 

When 1 hear persons discussing our chances in case 
of a war with Great Britain or France, my mind feels 
quite at rest regarding the defence of our coasts and 
harbors, although it sometimes misgives me when I 
think of the many sea-going vessels possessed by both 
the above named powers, and their ability to keep the 
sea without burning coal, and their offensive power in 
iron sea-going vessels against our wooden ones. 

Our harbor defence is superior to theirs, as we have 
now and will still have more monitors with which we 
can prevent foreign vessels from entering our ports, and 
what we do not sink with our fifteen-inch guns we can 
destroy with torpedoes. 

I have examined your system thoroughly, and am 
satisfied that it is not only the most perfect of any I 
have seen, but is susceptible of very little improve- 



11 

ment. With such an adjunct as yourself and your 
sy>tem of torpedoes and batteries^ 1 would not hesitate 
to attempt to drive from our coast any force that coujd 
come here. Your battery can be successfully used on 
any small, fast, low-pressure tug, and for off-shore work 
on any tug of one hundred and fifty tons. This tug 
could approach the best iron ship of England or France 
at night, and blow her up when her crew were least 
expecting it. 

We could improvise the most powerful fleet of tor- 
pedo vessels in a week ; but, unless we have a corps of 
officers trained in the use of your system, they would 
not be effective. 

I consider your time fuses for torpedoes the best 
that can be imagined, and I thank you for the confi- 
dence you have reposed in me of making me the 
guardian of the secret in case anything should happen 
to yourself. 

It will be a most effective fuse used in a torpedo or 
shell that it may be desired to explode at a given time. 

Having had you under my command during the re- 
bellion, I am quite satisfied of your ability to under- 
take any adventure, which I am sure you would con- 
duct with coolness and courage. 

I trust that we may never be called upon to put 
your invention to the test against a foreign enemy ; but 
if we do have a war, 1 feel satisfied that our coast would 
soon be cleared of blockaders. 

Even our wooden war vessels, if they had speed, 
could approach an irod-clad at night, and destroy or 
seriously injure her before she could get a gun cast 
loose. 



12 

On the ^Thole, I think we are fortunate in possessing 
the means of so annoying an enemy that should come 
on our coast, and it is to be hoped that your patriotism 
will prevent you from imparting your knowledge to 
any but your own Government. You may never be 
rewarded for your enterprise by your own Government, 
but you would inflict incalculable damage on us if you 
should let your invention fall into foreign hands. 

I think your system is the best for blasting under 
water, because it is certain ; and with an organized 
corps of naval officers, rocks and reefs in harbors could 
soon be cleared out of the way of commerce. In one 
week 1 would undertake to make Hell Gate and its 
approaches navigable for the largest vessels, and in one 
or two months any reef would certainly be removed. 

Wishing you success in your undertakings, 
I remain, very truly, yours, 

DAVID D. PORTER, 

Vice- Admiral U. S. Navy, 

George W. Beardslee, Esq., 
New York, 



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